AC creating First Responders Academy

AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — Amarillo College is moving forward with plans to establish a First Responder's Academy in Amarillo, allowing future police officers and fire and EMS personnel to be trained at one location. The project has been years in the making and will help solve problems rural communities face when it comes to hiring and training the next wave of first responders.

“It’s a positive thing for Amarillo, it’s a positive thing for the Panhandle," said Howard Heath, Claude EMS Administrator.

Reaction from Claude EMS Administrator Howard Heath on Amarillo College’s decision to move forward with establishing a First Responder's Academy in Amarillo at a vacant building at Sunset Center. The plan is for AC to relocate its current academies for law enforcement and fire and EMS at different campuses into one centralized location.

“We really want to have a state of the art facility, where people are trained on the latest and greatest techniques and skills to do this job," said Chris Sharp, VP of Business Affairs at AC.

“We have just as much of a need if not more of a need here in the rural and frontier counties than Amarillo does," said Heath.

Heath tells ABC 7 News where this will help out rural communities throughout the Texas Panhandle is by establishing one training academy and allow volunteers and paid staff to train and cross-train and work together. The cost of emergency training can vary depending on your certification. The centralized location will help address problems some agencies face when having to travel out of their zone to respond to an emergency.

“There’s always that chance of a mass casualty incident where we'll call in surrounding counties to come in and assist us or us be called to assist them," said Heath. "Working together and communicating well together on a scene or on an incident, that makes it even better when you have combined training.”

“We really want to reach out to the communities and the Panhandle and show them we have a state of the art training facility for this academy."

Once Amarillo College officially takes over the building by the end of October the plan is to have the first graduating class of first responders by the year 2023.

Amarillo College is using funds from an $89 million bond, voters passed last year to cover costs related to remodeling the old JC Penney building and establishing an academy at one location.